In early 2020, eSmartr and Steve Aoki began working together in large part because of Steve’s incredible dedication to both his craft and to the fields of neuroscience and brain health. In addition to being a two-time Grammy-nominated producer and one of the top-paid DJs in the world, Steve is also the founder of the Steve Aoki Foundation, which was set up in 2012 to help support organizations dedicated to discovering how to improve brain health; its vision is “to one day see a world where degenerative brain diseases do not exist and science and technology play a direct role in extending the healthy lives of ourselves and our loved ones.”¹ In 2019, the Aoki Foundation hosted the Aoki Games, which raised $250,000 to go towards these aims.² Brain health is incredibly important for everyone, and there is still a lot left to learn regarding our own minds. 

What Exactly Does “Brain Health” Mean?

Defining brain health can be surprisingly tricky, but a presidential advisory written by the American Heart and Stroke Associations offers a workable one: they suggested that “optimal brain health” could be defined as “an optimal capacity to function adaptively in the environment,” which would be assessed “in terms of competencies across the domains of ‘thinking, moving, and feeling.” This definition also covers a person’s ability to pay attention, to think, move, feel, remember, communicate, solve problems, learn, and regulate emotions.³ These abilities are what defines who we are as people, and enable us to achieve the things we want to get out of life, which is a big part of why the Steve Aoki Foundation wants to eliminate neurodegenerative diseases and improve overall general brain health.

Interestingly, because the brain receives its oxygen through blood, good cardiovascular health often translates into good brain health. If you want to know how to improve brain health, this is a good place to start. Several well-known factors that can lead to heart disease can also lead to cognitive troubles later in life.⁴ It’s never a bad time to make sure you’re keeping in shape and taking care of your heart, especially since cognitive impairment is something that is not always in our control, especially as we age; it simply manifests, in forms that can range from needing help performing tasks all the way to Alzheimer’s Disease. So being able to take care of ourselves in ways like this are great things to do to get some control over our brain health.

How to Improve Brain Health: Daily Living

In 2014, a study examined the opinions of several experts in neuroscience, and posed a question: how can we improve our brain health? The study noted that “in the same way that we look after our bodies through healthy eating, exercise and monitoring and detecting physical illness onset through health check ups and screening, individuals need to be as attentive to their minds and wellbeing.” It further recommends a “conceptual shift” to focusing on good brain health.⁵ This means:

• Eating well
• Asking your doctor about your cognition
• Regular exercise
• Going for walks
• Taking breaks from work
• Quality sleep

Essentially, it means doing all the things you can do to improve the rest of your body! Pursuing your own health and wellbeing will almost always lead to improved brain health.

eSmartr is proud to be working with Steve Aoki as someone who is pursuing better cognitive health for all. Our work with improved cognition exists in the form of Cognitive Boost Technology™, a neuro-tech pattern that works through our smart compression sleeves. When worn, the tech works to promote a sense of clarity and focus in the mind, while reducing stress and anxiety. It does this without the use of electricity or drugs, making it a safe way to enhance your cognition. While you look after your brain, whether through exercise or mindfulness, you can use Cognitive Boost Technology to enhance the experience and help you to efficiently achieve your goals.

The Steve Aoki Foundation’s goal is an extremely noble pursuit, and eSmartr is proud to be working with such strong advocates for healthy, clean, and reliable mental wellbeing. Aoki’s drive, ambition, and lifestyle make him an ideal ambassador for this field, and he helps to promote an important message: that everybody has the ability and the responsibility to take care of their minds, and to do their best to make their world, and the world around them, as good a place as possible for everyone.

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^{1. https://aokifoundation.org/
2. https://weraveyou.com/2019/09/steve-aoki-throws-first-ever-aoki-games-for-his-charity/ 
3. Gorelick, P. B., Furie, K. L., Iadecola, C., Smith, E. E., Waddy, S. P., Lloyd-Jones, D. M., Bae, H. J., Bauman, M. A., Dichgans, M., Duncan, P. W., Girgus, M., Howard, V. J., Lazar, R. M., Seshadri, S., Testai, F. D., van Gaal, S., Yaffe, K., Wasiak, H., Zerna, C., & American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (2017). Defining Optimal Brain Health in Adults: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association/America
4. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/heart-disease-and-brain-health-looking-at-the-links 
5. Sahakian, B (2014). What do experts think we should do to achieve brain health?, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 43, 240-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.04.002.}